NEWS

2025-04-11

Welcome Party 2025

We held a welcome party for the new members of our group.

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2025-03-29

The 105th CSJ Annual Meeting (2025)

We participated in the 105th CSJ Annual Meeting held at Kansai University’s Senriyama Campus from March 26th to 29th. Three M1 students gave oral presentations, and one B4 student gave a poster presentation. 

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2025-03-14

A farewell party 2025

Held a farewell party for students who will graduate in March. 

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RESEARCH

Our group develops stimuli-responsive molecular-based materials, such as crystals, liquid crystals, organogels and etc. We try to elucidate so far unknown responses of such materials and provide novel functionality of molecules.

Molecular-based materials exhibiting stimuli-responsivity

Molecular crystals or liquid crystals often show properties and functionality different from its individual molecule itself. This is caused by the neighboring molecules within the assembled materials which are connected through various intermolecular interactions. This indicates that the molecular-based materials can show properties/functionalities based on assembled states. Upon applying external stimulations to such materials, such as temperature change, photoirradiation and mechanical stimulations, the assembled states/molecular arrangements can change. As a result, these molecular-based materials exhibit various responses, i.e., property changes and mechanical movement.

Bridging the gap between macroscopic externals stimulation and microscopic molecular arrangement

We have reported that the molecular-based materials exhibiting emission color changes, electronic conductivity changes, and mechanical movements upon applying mechanical stimulation. These stimuli-responses are caused by the “macroscopic” mechanical force by means of a spatula or a pestle/mortar, which leading to changes in “macroscopic” molecular arrangements and patterns of intermolecular interactions. Our group tries to elucidate precise molecular arrangements within the crystals/liquid crystals to identify the effect of external stimulation, bridging the gap between macro- and microscopic information.

Publications

2025

88. A Platinum Complex Capable of Forming a Crystal Containing Two Distinct Molecular Arrangements,
T. Seki, A. Yano,
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., 2025, 28, e202400793
DOI: 10.1002/ejic.202400793.

87. Luminescent Mechanochromism of a Platinum Complex with Four Monodentate Ligands Governed by Intramolecular Interactions Between Ligands,
T. Seki, R. Ishikawa,
Chem. Eur. J., 2025, 31, e202404241
DOI: 10.1002/chem.202404241.

2024

86. Benzodifuranone Crystals with Solid-State Emission Arising from the Introduction of Bulky Substituents,
T. Seki, T. Okada,
Chem. Eur. J., 2024, 30, e202402622
DOI: 10.1002/chem.202402622.

85. Preparation of intrinsically fragile bent crystals,
T. Seki, S. Kobayashi, R. Ishikawa, K. Yano, T. Matsuo, S. Hayashi,
Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 12258–12263
DOI: 10.1039/d4sc02918f.